


Ace in the Hole

by Tabitha_Black_Rose23



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Aromantic Asexual Charlie Weasley, Aromantic Character, Asexual Character, Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-11
Updated: 2021-02-11
Packaged: 2021-03-17 10:40:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,350
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29349057
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tabitha_Black_Rose23/pseuds/Tabitha_Black_Rose23
Summary: As he observes his siblings' relationships, Charlie Weasley becomes concerned by the absence of romance in his own life.AKA, Charlie discovers that he is asexual.
Relationships: Bill Weasley & Charlie Weasley, Bill Weasley & Charlie Weasley & Fred Weasley & George Weasley & Ginny Weasley & Ron Weasley, Charlie Weasley & Hermione Granger, Charlie Weasley & Molly Weasley
Comments: 1
Kudos: 32





	Ace in the Hole

Prior to Bill's wedding, the thought of marriage had never even crossed Charlie's mind. He thought it was clear that he was already solely committed to the dragons he studied, but it soon became apparent that this was not the case. The entire day he kept getting nudges and winks (mostly from older relatives) followed by different variations of the same comment: "Now that Bill has had his turn, you'll be the next in the family to get married!"

It was said with enthusiasm, but to Charlie it felt more like they were reading him a prison sentence.

Still, when he thought about it, he started to realize that it was not insane of them to assume that marriage was in his near future. He was 25 now, after all. He was 5 years older than his parents were when they had Bill.

Conversely, the closest Charlie had come to fatherhood was caring for infant dragons who had been rejected by their mothers at birth. He also had never had a serious girlfriend before. He had never even been on a date.

For the first time ever, Charlie was troubled by the absence of romance in his life. He didn't care about going on dates, having a girlfriend, or even about having sex. He was, however, concerned that everyone else his age seemed to desire these things except him.

He wondered if there was something wrong with him.

Nevertheless, he didn't have time to dwell on these feelings for long. As the war escalated, he became consumed with doing his part to defeat Voldemort and the Death Eaters.

Then, when the war was finally over, he mourned the death of Fred, as well as other friends killed during the Battle of Hogwarts. He couldn't be concerned with his nonexistent love life while trying to come to terms with this loss.

After a few months, he went back to Romania and immediately all of his focus returned to the dragons. Charlie briefly questioned if he was using his work to distract himself from his grief, but he quickly came to the realization that he genuinely missed the dragons while he was away.

Although he knew that everyone except Rubeus Hagrid would deem him crazy for thinking so, Charlie couldn't deny that he had come to view the dragons as family. Sure, they were mean, dangerous, and ate all of Charlie's snacks when he wasn't looking, but his younger siblings behaved the same way and he still loved _them_.

* * *

Charlie was delighted when he got a letter from Bill asking if he could stay with him for a week or two while he was doing work for Gringotts in Romania. His older brother had never been to the Romanian Dragon Sanctuary before, and Charlie was excited to show Bill all the work he had been doing with the dragons.

Unfortunately, Bill was not nearly as interested in observing the flight patterns of the Romanian Longhorn, or hearing about the feeding habits of the Common Welsh Green as Charlie hoped he would be. Nonetheless, he still enjoyed spending time with his brother.

A few nights into his visit, Bill accidentally let it slip out the he and Fleur decided to start trying for a baby. Bill was usually good at keeping secrets, but on this night he had already drank a whole bottle of fire whisky and was half way through his second. Charlie congratulated him but promised to keep this news a secret. Apparently, Fleur didn't want anyone to know until she actually got pregnant.

Though it was a bit awkward to think about, Charlie did hope that Bill and Fleur would be able to conceive there first child soon, and not only so he wouldn't have to worry about mistakenly revealing the secret. He knew Bill always intended to have children someday, and he himself wanted to eventually become an uncle. He liked babies in small doses (human babies that is, he could never grow tired of the newborn dragons), so he liked the idea of getting to watch a child grow up without having to be the one responsible for raising it.

He told Bill as much when his brother asked if he also wanted to become a father someday. Bill chuckled.

"But you do eventually want to get married, right?" He said, becoming slightly less lighthearted. It was worded like a question, but it didn't sound like one based off of Bill's tone of voice.

"No," Charlie said quickly. "Or yes. I'm honestly not sure," he admitted.

Bill looked thoughtful for a moment.

"Did you have some kind of terrible relationship that has put you off to dating and marriage that you never told me about?" Bill asked, half joking, half serious.

"No," Charlie replied. "I've never even had a girlfriend before."

"Really?" Bill questioned. He seemed genuinely surprised.

"Really," confirmed Charlie. "I thought you knew this."

"I didn't," Bill told him. "I just assumed you had girlfriends you didn't like to talk about."

"Why wouldn't I tell anyone if I had a girlfriend?"

"Well… If you thought the family wouldn't like her for some reason. Or if you knew the relationship wasn't going to go anywhere, so you didn't want to deal with the hassle of having her meet the family. You know mum always made me bring my girlfriends over for dinner."

Charlie stared at Bill.

"Did you have a lot of girlfriends you never bothered telling the family about?"

"Loads," said Bill, acting like this should have been obvious. "You could say I had a bit of a problem with commitment in my early 20s. It was funny actually. Mum was convinced that I only wanted to marry Fleur because the thought of war somehow convinced me that I needed to settle down and start a family right away. Little did she know, it was just that Fleur turned out to be the cure to my commitment issues. I knew all along that I must really love Fleur since I was ready to spend the rest of my life with her. Before we met, I had never been in a relationship that lasted longer than a couple of months."

Charlie was shocked to hear Bill say all of this so casually. He had always believed that Bill was involved in few romantic relationships before Fleur. Growing up, he thought of his older brother as the coolest person in the world. He continued to idolize Bill as an adult and had always told himself that if someone like Bill rarely dated, it was no big deal that he had no love life of his own.

Suddenly, all his concerns about never dating became more intense than they had ever been before. Without thinking, he admitted that he had never had sex or been in a romantic relationship before and revealed his worry that this made him a freak.

"So, you've never even kissed a girl?" Bill asked.

"No."

"Or even held hands?"

"Not with a woman who wasn't our mother or sister. You don't have to act like this is so shocking to hear."

"Sorry, sorry," Bill apologized. "It's just… even Ginny, our baby sister, isn't even still a virgin. And before you ask, I only know this because I accidently walked in on her and Harry in a, umm, compromising position when I was at the Burrow for Christmas, and-"

"Okay, I got it!" Charlie swiftly interrupted. "I didn't need to know that."

"Right, sorry. I don't know what's gotten into me tonight. I think I've drank too much fire whisky, if I'm being honest."

"I do too," Charlie told him. It was pretty obvious at this point that Bill was drunk. Still, Charlie had hoped that Bill might have some actual advice for him. Instead he was just making Charlie feel worse.

Charlie put his head in his hands, and Bill gathered that he probably should have been a little more sensitive to his brother's feelings.

"Look, it's really not that big of a deal. You've been so busy with work, and not to mention the war. You're only 26. You still have plenty of time to find love."

Charlie nodded slightly.

"Seriously," Bill continued. "I was overreacting before. There are a lot of people your age who haven't started dating yet. Everyone does things at a different pace. I just hope that you're not lonely."

"That's the thing," Charlie told him. "I'm not lonely at all. I have my family, a lot of good friends, and of course my dragons. I'm perfectly content the way I am."

"Then…what's the problem?" Bill asked, confused.

"It's not normal. I have no desire for romance or sex. In fact, I find the thought of both kind of repulsive. But no one else seems to feel this way."

There was a moment of silence. Both Bill and Charlie were lost in thought.

"Don't get offended," Bill finally said.

Charlie groaned.

"I not going to say anything bad," Bill assured him. "I just don't know your particular feelings about this. Have you ever considered that you might be gay?"

"What?"

"If you are, there's really nothing wrong with it-"

"I know that! A few of my friends from the dragon sanctuary are gay. I don't know why some people act like it's so horrible. It's not like who other people love has any effect on them. I just don't know why you think I might be gay."

"Well, one of Fleur's cousins' is gay. She and her girlfriend are really serious. I'm sure they'd get married if it was legal for them to. Hopefully that law will change soon. But anyway, she was saying how she didn't even know that she was a lesbian until she met her partner. Before that, she always had just assumed that she was straight, and she could never understand why her sex life was so awful, or why she couldn't make herself love any of her boyfriends. Maybe your problem is that you've only ever considered dating girls. Maybe if you tried going out with guys instead, you'd find someone who you'd want to continue dating and eventually have sex with."

Charlie actually thought that what Bill was saying might make sense. He decided that he would just put himself out there and finally try dating.

* * *

Over the next few months he had gone out with a few men who lived in his neighborhood. He actually had fun on some of the dates, but he never found someone he wanted to pursue a relationship with. After that, he decided to give women another try. He found himself just as disinterested in them as he was with the men. After a few months of this, he decided he was sick of it. He did make some new friends through his experimental dating, but he still couldn't figure out his sexuality.

* * *

Thanksgiving was the next time the entire Weasley family got together. The happy reunion got even better when Ron and Hermione announced that they had become engaged. Everyone was thrilled for them, Charlie included, but he also couldn't deny that he was slightly bothered by this new development.

His youngest brother was now engaged, and Charlie had never been in a serious relationship. He was 8 years older than Ron. It made him feel like a freak.

Even Ginny, the baby of the family, would likely become engaged to Harry soon, and Percy had also recently started dating a woman from the ministry. He was the only one of his siblings who was still single. Well, except for George, but no one expected him to date anytime soon.

As Fred's twin, it was understandable that George was hit the hardest by his death. He had become deeply depressed, which was troubling for Charlie to witness as George had previously been one of the happiest, most fun-loving people he had ever met. He made a lot of progress in the year and a half since the Battle of Hogwarts, but George was still not emotionally stable enough to start a new romantic relationship. Everyone knew this.

Nowadays, the whole family breathed a sigh of relief if George found the energy to go to work on any given day. Ron had really stepped up by helping George with Weasley's Wizard Wheezes. The thought of this made Charlie feel terrible for not being as excited as he should be by Ron's engagement. His little brother deserved every good thing that was happening to him.

After dinner, Charlie reluctantly agreed to help his mother clean up, already knowing the conversation they would be having.

"So," Molly said as they were packaging the leftover food, trying her best to sound casual. "Have you met anyone nice lately?"

"No," he replied with a sigh.

"You know, I'm not trying to be nosey, I'm just curious about your life. You live so far away; I never know what's going on with you," his mother told him.

"Good to know."

"I'm serious. You don't have to keep your relationships a secret from me. I won't force you to bring your partners home to meet me, if that's what you're worried about."

 _Partners_.

It didn't escape Charlie's notice that his mom was using gender neutral pronouns to refer to the significant others which he didn't have. Apparently, Bill wasn't the only one who suspected he may be gay.

Charlie rolled his eyes.

He should appreciate that his mother didn't assume his sexuality, but for some reason he was annoyed.

"I don't have a secret girlfriend, or a secret boyfriend," he said. "Nor have I ever."

Molly looked at him incredulously.

"Charlie, you're a 26-year-old grown man. Do you actually expect me to believe that you've never been in a relationship before?" She asked. "I know what single men your age get up to."

"Yes, I do expect you to believe me because I'm telling you the truth." Charlie noticed that his voice sounded strained. "I know it's weird that a guy my age has never been in a romantic relationship of any kind before, I don't need you to remind me."

Molly must have realized that her son was genuinely upset because her face quickly shifted into a look of sympathy.

"You'll meet the right person eventually, everyone does" his mom assured him. "I had no idea how much I could love somebody until I met your father."

* * *

A few weeks after he returned to Romania, Charlie received a package from Hermione. Unsurprising, she had sent him a book.

 _The Spectrum of Asexuality_ by Margaret J. Burns.

It came with a note attached.

_Dear Charlie,_

_I hope this doesn't upset you, but I overheard the conversation you were having with your mother on Thanksgiving. I wasn't trying to snoop, but you were talking pretty loudly, and I was trying to read one room over._

_Also, I wasn't supposed to tell you this, but Bill told Fleur about a conversation you two had during his trip to Romania, and she told Ginny and I about it._

_Don't take this personally, Fleur gossips about everybody._

_Anyway, I was intrigued by the problems you were having with your romantic life, so I did some research at the library. I found the book I sent you very fascinating, and I thought you might want to read it. It was written by a muggle, but the content also applies to magical people. I hope you find it helpful!_

_Love,_

_Hermione_

_P.S. Please make sure you send the book back to me after you've read it. The muggle library charges late fees when you take too long to return books._

Charlie groaned. He wasn't thrilled by the idea that more people had learned about his personal problems. Still, he knew Hermione meant well, so he sent her back a note thanking her and promising that he'd return the book soon.

Reading _The Spectrum of Asexuality_ changed his entire world.

He found out that there were many people who felt the same way about sex and romance as he did. He learned all kinds of new terms and decided that he best identified as asexual and aromantic.

He read that people who are asexual and aromantic experience none or very little sexual and romantic attraction. He also learned that it was possible to be asexual but not be aromantic. He realized that he personally felt no sexual or romantic feelings at all.

Now that he knew his feelings were perfectly valid and natural, Charlie felt no pressure to date at all. He was fulfilled with his family and his dragons. His life was perfect the way it was.

He sent the book back to Hermione with a very enthusiastic note informing her of his sexuality.

Telling his parents was easier than he thought it would be. They were clearly perplexed by his sexuality, but they both assured him that all they wanted was for him to be happy, and that they accepted and loved him no matter what.

"Besides, it's not like we have to worry about you not giving us grandchildren. We'll have plenty because of your brothers and sister!" Molly joked. She didn't appreciate it when she received a Christmas card that stated "Merry Christmas! Love, Charlie and your grandchildren!" below a picture of Charlie and 3 baby dragons wearing matching Christmas sweaters.

Bill was also very supportive, and he seemed to understand the concept of asexuality more than their parents. Though he did tell Charlie that he should probably come out to the rest of the family soon because Fleur likes to gossip.

"I've noticed," Charlie informed him.

Percy didn't care at all when Charlie told him. Charlie was a bit surprised at Percy's underwhelming reaction to his coming out. But then again, Percy was always too busy with school and then work to be concerned about his brother's love life.

George, on the other hand, seemed very interested when Charlie explained his sexuality to him. He asked many questions and Charlie was happy to answer all of them. He knew that a lot of people had never heard about his sexuality before, and he didn't mind clearing up any confusion his brother may have.

It wasn't until George started making jokes about asexuality ("Hey Charlie, what do you call an asexual digging a ditch? An ace in the hole!") that Charlie realized that he was just looking for enough information to make as many puns as possible. He didn't mind though. He knew jokes were the way George showed love, and he suspected that Fred would be doing the same thing if he were still alive.

Ron seemed confused and ungraciously questioned Charlie how he could know he hated sex when he had never slept with anybody before. For this he received a swift kick in the shin from Hermione who then made Ron read _The Spectrum of Asexuality_.

Ron apologized to him after reading the book and Charlie just laughed it off.

And Ginny, she had shocked Charlie. She interrupted him in the middle of his speech about his sexuality (he had gotten very good at it after coming out to all his brothers) and informed him that she had known that he was asexual for years, but that she appreciated that he told her all the same. Charlie was dumb struck. While Percy and Hermione were both book smart, Ginny was certainly the most intelligent person in the family when it came to people.

Charlie really loved his family, even more than he loved dragons, and that was saying something!

Even more importantly, he loved himself just the way he was. He embraced being asexual and aromantic, even though it confused a lot of people. He had even been told that it wasn't a real sexuality a handful of times. It truly didn't matter. He was sure of his sexuality, and of himself. He didn't need validation from anyone else.

Besides, the dragons didn't care about his sexuality, and their opinion was most important to Charlie at the end of the day.

**Author's Note:**

> I 100% made up The Spectrum of Asexuality by Margaret J. Burns, but it sounds like it could be real, right?


End file.
